DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters or any kind of stuff that belongs to the "Ronin Warriors". If I did, do you think that I would be working my butt off?? So, please don't sue me or anything like that. I'm a nice person once you get to know me.

Chp. 1

The Unbelievable

"Rowen?"

Rowen snapped his blue-black haired head up to see the familiar violet eyes of his friend smiling down on him.

Rowen slid a bookmark between the faded pages of the book he was reading. Sunlight peered through the leaves hanging quietly over the boy's heads, only being disturbed by a soft breeze. The lake below the small incline they were on was twinkling in the fading sunlight, feeling warm on their faces.

"Hey, Sage. I knew you'd know where to find me."

Sage crouched beside of his friend, eager to hear of Rowen's good news. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the folded note that he had received from Ryo earlier in the day.

"I've been anxious to talk with you all day. What's with the note?" Sage asked as he crouched down by Rowen's side.

At the mention of Rowen's mystery message, his eyes and face beamed. A smile that Sage had not seen in years spread across his face.

Relief washed over Sage; enough so that it almost knocked his balance out from his low crouch. It had been so long since Rowen had received any form of good news.

After the years of abuse that he had lived through, it finally happened. A reconciliation.

As Rowen had dropped his book bag off at the door, the assault began. His mother had called him into the dark living room, quizzing him and accusing him of things that were long forgotten. She's hurled trinkets wildly at him, wishing him dead and gone. After her tirade had subsided and she'd disappeared into the bottom of another liquor bottle, Rowen started to pick up the pieces of the objects from the floor.

As he gathered the broken shards in his hands, he heard a strange sound from the dining room across the hall.

Rowen looked up at his mother, crying softly as she ran her fingers tenderly over an object lying flat on the table. He couldn't tell what it was from his spot of the floor, but he sat motionless, watching this new emotion that his mother was showing him. After a fight, he was always the one crying.

Suddenly, a wail erupted from her lips, and she slid slowly from the chair and into the floor, firmly grasping the object that was on the table. Rowen timidly got up from the shattered pieces, and dusted the fine pieces from his hands. He wasn't sure what to do. He approached her quietly, watching as she mumbled inaudible words and held the object tight to her chest. He could see that it was a picture frame of some sort, but the picture was being pressed into her chest.

"Mom?" he asked quietly, kneeling down to her side.

Her shoulders lurched forward in a sob.

"Mom?" Rowen asked again, placing a hand on her shoulder, "What is it?"

She looked up at Rowen, large tears flowing down her face. She loosened her grip on the item she had been holding, allowing Rowen to look at it. Rowen looked down at it, a gasp escaping his cheery lips as he recognized it.

It was a picture of him and his father, arms around each other and smiles on their faces.

Rowen looked into the dark eyes of his mother. They were almost pleading him for something. As he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she did something completely unexpected.

She gently lifted a hand and tenderly caressed Rowen's cheek.

He was stunned. Time after time, all he was met with was hurt and ridicule. Anytime she had lifted a hand, it was to smack his fine, porcelain cheeks. Was she doing this as a result of the alcohol, or was it some deep emotion that she had hidden deep down from him?

Rowen nuzzled into her trembling hand, closing his eyes against her touch.

"Ro-Chan?" her voice croaked as she said his childhood name.

He opened his sea-green eyes, staring into her face.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered quietly.

"Mom, I don't -" he began, but was cut off.

"I need help, Rowen. I've known for a long time that I've needed help for all of my drinking and for what I've done to you."

Sudden tears stung his eyes, as he quickly let her confession sink into his numbed mind. She was actually admitting that she had done him terrible injustices. She dropped her hand from his cheek, and began to stroke the images in the picture in her lap. She scooted across the floor to move closer to him. Her tears were spilling over, and she rushed to finish her speech before her voice began to cut her off completely.

"When your father left, I didn't understand why. I didn't know that I had problems then. I don't even know why I began to drink. But, I couldn't admit it to myself, that I had a problem. So," she looked into Rowen's face, a soft look of sympathy in her eyes, "I blamed you, the most precious gift that I have ever received. I didn't want to believe that your father was leaving because of me."

A tear escaped Rowen's eyes, and he drew in a shaky breath, to try to steady himself. His mother's lips drew into a faint smile, and she reached up to lovingly wipe them away.

"I've done so many awful things to you, and said so many hurtful things." she trailed off quietly.

Her eyes broke away from his, and she looked to the picture once more. Rowen watched as she wrestled with all of the memories she had of mistreating him.

He did the only thing he could think of to do.

Rowen drew her frail and beaten body up to his strong chest and held her. Her arms encircled his waist, and she cried openly on his shoulder. He rested his head on her shoulder, her long raven hair tickling his cheek. He rubbed her back, trying to soothe her wails the best he could.

"I miss him, Rowen! It's my fault he's gone! He knew what was wrong, and when he tried to tell me, I exploded!" she wailed into his shoulder.

Rowen held her tight to his body, his own tears trickling over his cheeks.

"I miss him, too, Mom. But you still have Me." he croaked as a sob escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry" and "I love you" were repeated by his mother over and over again. There they sat in the dining room floor for over an hour, embracing each other. Rowen couldn't believe the sudden change, and was wary on how long this dream would last. He quickly shook his head to chase the thought away and melted into their embrace, savoring the moment.

Sage sat in stunned silence as Rowen finished his tale. When he was done, a ghost of a smile graced his lips, and he looked out over the glittering lake below. The sun was slowly beginning to set, and a few stars were making an early entrance. A cool breeze rushed over the glittering water and up to hilltop to where Rowen and Sage were sitting. Sage was watching Rowen curiously, sensing a definite inner peace in his friend.

"So, what happened this morning?"

Rowen looked back over at his friend, and took in a breath, "I got up and got ready for class. I didn't know what to expect when I got downstairs."

Rowen precariously walked down the stairs, his backpack as heavy as his heart was feeling. He ran a hand through his still damp hair and continued down the stairs.

As he crossed the living room into the dining room, his mother stepped out of her bedroom and stood in his path. A deep scowl was covering her face like a mask. Rowen rooted to his spot, and quickly turned his eyes to his feet.

She stomped over to him, and he saw her feet stop a little ways in front of him, the left toe tapping the floor impatiently.

"Where are you going?" she demanded.

Rowen struggle with himself, not sure what to do. Had he dreamed about their reunion last night?

"I... I'm going... to class," he said almost at a whisper.

"Maybe later. You'll be late for class today."

Rowen quickly looked up at her, puzzled by her request.

"I don't -"

"I have to check in at the rehab center this morning." she said with a smile, and pointed over at the door.

Rowen furrowed his eyebrows and looked over at the door. A couple of suitcases were packed and waiting in the open doorway. A plane ticket was on the countertop.

Rowen looked back over at his mother, his turquoise eyes meeting her deep brown.

"What about -"

"You?" she asked with a smile, "I called Mrs. Date last night when you set off for bed. She said that she would be honored to keep you for a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" he asked quietly as he slipped his backpack off his back and to the floor with a thud.

Rowen felt a soft hand touch his shoulder and recognized the soft vanilla perfume he had bought her as a child. She tilted his chin up to look into his beautiful eyes.

"Yes, darling. It will be a while before I can come home."

"Will I get to see you while you're there?" he asked, a sudden weight on his heart.

She shook her head, her long raven hair swirling around her shoulders. Rowen dropped his head and shuffled his feet.

"I'll write you as soon as I can. And I promise," she added as she pushed Rowen's head up to look into his troubled eyes, "I will be back to get you."

Rowen remembered many times he would be alone in the house for days at a time, wondering if she were dead in a ditch somewhere. Or when she'd drop him off at friend's houses for a week or two, thinking for sure that she'd finally abandoned him.

"Okay?" she asked, breaking into his reverie.

Rowen nodded quietly and slowly embraced her.

"I promise, baby. Everything is going to be so much better," she said through his shoulder.

"God, I hope so," he whispered, tears once more threatening to spill over.

"We took a cab to the airport and I saw her off. Then the cab took me back to the uni for class." Rowen ended as he rubbed his eyes.

"So that's why you weren't in chemistry." Sage said quietly.

Sage had moved over beside the tree, and was sitting with his eyes closed. The sunshine felt warm on his face, and he turned each cheek to greedily soak in each ray.

Rowen stretched out his legs, rubbing his aching knees, "Yep. I wrote that note on the way over in the cab. I handed it off to Ryo as I went to my calculus class."

Sage quietly acknowledged. When Ryo had given him Rowen's note, Sage exchanged a nervous glance with Ryo. Every time Rowen had written a note to Sage, it was always hastily written asking him for help.

"Wasn't Rowen here this morning?" Ryo asked as Sage read through the message.

"Nuh-uh. I've been worried about him all morning." Sage mumbled as he scanned the note.

Sage,

So much to say in so little time. Very profound events happening at home.

Meet me after class where the sun twinkles in our eyes from the ground up.

Ro

"Geez."

"What?" Ryo asked as Sage handed him the note.

"I hate it when he writes in riddles." Sage muttered as he grabbed his ancient studies book from his backpack.

Ryo chuckled, and a sudden glimmer touched his tiger blue eyes.

"What are you giggling at?" Sage asked as Ryo handed back the note.

"It's good to see the old Rowen, is all."

"What do you mean?" Sage asked, suddenly tired of everyone's riddles.

"Think about it, Sage," Ryo said as they strolled to class, "Think of the other note's Rowen has written."

Sage thought for a second, then started counting off thoughts on his fingers, "Straight to the point... Some mention of this problem... scribbled down in a hurry."

"Exactly. Now list off what's different in this."

"No mention of any kind of problem... thought about it before writing it down... a riddle." Sage ended as he pulled open the door to their classroom.

"I think he finally has good news."

Rowen laughed heartily as Sage finished recalling the events of the morning.

"I don't always write in riddles!" Rowen said with a smile.

"Yeah, Ro, you do. Especially if you're in a good mood."

"Anyway," Rowen said as he looked over at Sage, "so I'll be staying with you for awhile."

A broad smile spread over Sage's face. He opened his eyes to look over at Rowen, a mischievous gleam in them.

"What?"

Sage slyly shrugged, and shook his head, "Nothing. Just thinking about how I'm finally going to beat your ass in the dojo tonight."

Rowen threw his head back and laughed, "Whatever. You always say that, and I always end up standing on top of you, stomping you into the ground."

"We'll see about that." Sage said with a smile.

Sage got up slowly, dusting off his gray pants, and straightening the blue collared shirt he had on. Rowen shaded his eyes and looked up at his friend.

"We better get going before mom begins to worry. I'm sure that she'll have a huge dinner ready for us."

Sage reached a hand out to help Rowen up to his feet. Rowen dusted the dried leaves and dirt away from his blue jeans and maroon polo shirt as he started to follow along behind Sage to his house.

As Rowen walked along beside his friend joking around, he couldn't help but think that nothing could ruin how wonderful his day was going...

But he was wrong.

To be continued....

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